I am hoping to snag a spot in upper pines, lower pines or north pines. I know it might not be likely but hoping my birthday luck will pull through. We would be very greatful is anyone has an extra camping spot. We are approx 10 adults in our late 20s

One, the max occupancy of a campsite is six, not 10.Two, the sites are non transferable and they require ID at checkin.Keep hitting recreation.gov and you might pick up cancellations for campsites. Only way anyone is getting money back on the site is to cancel and refund.

Besides the max occupancy of sites, which would mean that you need two for your group size, even lining up at the campground reservation desk at Half Dome Village for possible cancellations for just one of them is going to be a crapshoot of major proportions, not to mention, burn up a lot of your day. The first weekend of August is not a good time to come into Yosemite Valley looking for a campsite with only reliance on luck as your primary strategy, birthday or otherwise.

You should just save yourself the trouble and have a better chance of having a good camping b-day by trying one of the walk-in campgrounds up on Tioga Rd. Tamarack Flat, White Wolf, Yosemite Creek, Porcupine Flat, and with a probability somewhere in the range of finding anything in the Valley, maybe even Tuolumne Meadows.

And if you want luck, make your own by showing up Wednesday or Thursday for the best odds of it smiling upon you.